Launcher



Nov. 27, 1956 C. C. LAURITSEN LAUNCHER Filed Aug. 25, 1945 Fla-5 3 Sheets-Sheet J 'Lunmnummmfu 1 INVENTOR CHARLES 6. LAURITSEN ATTORNEY 1955 c. c. LAURITSEN ,771,811

I LAUNCHER Filed Aug. 25, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR a. LAuR/rsav ATTORNEY 27, 1956 c. c. LAURITSEN LAUNC'HER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Aug. 25,- 1945 FIG. 3

INVENTOR CHARLES 6. LAURIT$EN ATTORNEY.

LAUNcrmR Charles C. Lauritsen, Pasadena, Calif., assignor to the United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy Application August 25, 1945, Serial No. 612,607 3 Claims. c1. 39-1.?

This invention relates to rocket launchers, and more particularly to a novel reloadable launcher for firing rockets from a position outboard of a ship.

An object of this invention is to provide a rocket launcher which is adapted to be fired from a position outboard of a vehicle, particularly an amphibious craft, and so arranged that its loading end may be swung inboard for reloading.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rocket launcher for high velocity rockets having large stabilizing fins, the rockets being connected at their forward and rearward ends to the launcher by means of slidable button-like heads riding in suitable slots provided in the launcher, and the rockets being steadied against lateral swinging movement by means of shoulders which bear against the launcher on either side of the rocket supporting heads.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rocket launcher which is quickly adjustable both in train and-in elevation.

A further object of the invention is to provide a rocket launcher which is of relatively light weight and is easily loaded.

Another object-of the invention is to provide a rocket launcher which carries a plurality of rockets positioned as compactly as their stabilizing fins permit.

These and other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a perspective view of one form of the new launcher in firing position;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view of the loaded launcher in firing position;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the launcher taken on'the line 33 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of'the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of a portion of Fig. 3, particularly detailing the latch' elements for 'positioning the launcher in elevation;

Fig. 5 is a detailed elevational view illustrating in detail the quadrant member;

Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view taken ou lined-6 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the latch utilized for positioning the launcher in train;

Fig. 8 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 9 is a cross section taken substantially on line 9--9 of Fig. 1, illustrating the means for mounting the rockets on the guide rails; and

Fig. 10 is a'fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the lug band by which the rockets are mounted on the launcher.

In the drawings, the rocket launcher is supported on a vertical post 10 which may be anchored in any-suitable manner to the vehicle 11, such as an amphibious craft, on which the launcher is carried. The upper end of the tet 2,771,811 Patented Nov. 27, 1956 post rotatably supports a sleeve 12 to which is secured a T fitting 13. Rotatably mounted in the cross portion of the T fitting is a hollow lateral rocket guide supporting shaft 14.

A lever arm 15 is secured to the lateral shaft 14 and extends downward along the side of the sleeve 12. Said arm is situated next to one end of the crosswise part of the fitting and so assists in keeping the shaft from sliding outwardly. The lower end of the lever arm has provision for the journaling of a tubular handle 16 which extends rearward at right angles to the lever arm. A quadrant 17 is secured to the side of the sleeve 12 and is provided with an arcuate guide slot 17a and holes 17b which engage, respectively, a guide pin 18 and a latch 19 carried by lever arm 15. Latch 19 is loosely carried by an upstanding arm 19a that is carried by a hub 19b, in turn secured to the handle 16 at 190. The latch is urged by resilient element 20 into engagement with the holes 17b in the quadrant to latch the launcherrails in various positions of elevation, as will be described presently. By a slight rotation of handle 16, the latches disengage from the quadrant for varying the elevation of the launcher.

The lower end of the sleeve 12 and an adjacent'po'rtion of post 10 are provided with mating flanges 12a and 10a, respectively, which are locked together by a pivoted train latch 21 which is resiliently urged toward the latch ing position by spring 22. The train latch is actuated by a cable 23 which extends through the tubular handle 16 to a suitablepivoted grip 16a located at the end of the handle.

A pair of launcher rails 31 are secured side by side near their centers on the extremity of the lateral shaft 14. Each launcher rail is a built up I beam formed of two similar thin metal members having inwardly flanged longitudinal edges so as to define tubes '32 of triangular section extending along the upper and lower margins of the launcher rail. The flanges do not meet but form slots 33 extending from end to end for a purpose which will be described presently. Resilient tabs 33a arepositioned at the rear end of each slot to prevent therocket from sliding out of'the launcher when it-is elevated.

The launcher rails are intended for use with rockets A which comprise motors 'B and heads C. The motors B are provided with radiating tail fins D. Immediately forward of the taillfins D and adjacent the head C, each motor B is provided with'a lugband E. Each lug band is provided with a button-like projection F which fits within a tube 32 of the launcher rail and rides along the margins of the slot 33. ShouldersG areprovided on the lug bandsflan king thebutton like projectionF. Theseshoulders ride-on th outer, fiat faces of the tubes 32, making substantiallyv edge-contact therewith and preventing lateralswaying ofthe rockets. I

The rockets A areprovided with electrical leads H which extend from their rear or nozzle-ends. These leads areprovided with terminals which plug into terminal boxes 34 secured to the sides of the launcher rails-at their rear. ends. The wiringis brought from the terminal boxes 34 to a central terminal box 34a which is connected by a wire passing through the lateral shaft'14 we supply terminal 35 mounted at the supported extremity of' the shaft 14 and adapted-toconnect by'wiring (not-shown) to a firing panel and current source (-not shown). By

thus reducing exposed wiring to a minimum, the dependability of the launcherisincreased.

Suitable cross braces 36 (Fig. l) are provided between the launcher rails,- the weight of which may be reduced by slots cut in the webs-of the launcher-rails.

-In operation, the rockets inthe loaded rocket launcher position) to remove the latch 19 from a hole 17b and by pushing upwardly on the handle 16, the launcher rails are rotated to a near horizontal position and latched in the new position. The pivoted handle 16a is then actuated to disengage the train latch 21 permitting the operator to rotate the launcher about the stand to move the rear or loading end of the launcher to an inboard loading position.

With the launcher in the loading position, the rockets are loaded onto the launcher rails from the rear by sliding the button-like projections F into the rear end of the slot 33 past the resilient tabs 33a which retain the rockets in the launcher. After the rockets are positioned in the rocket guiding slots, the plugs'on the ends of electrical leads H carried by each rocket are plugged into terminal box 34. The pivoted grip 16a is then operated, the launcher is swung to its outboard firing position, handle 16 is rotated and the proper angle of elevation for the launcher is selected, whereupon the launcher is locked in that position and is ready for firing.

I claim:

1. A rocket launcher comprising a supporting post, a sleeve rotatably mounted upon the upper end portion of said post, a T fitting secured to the upper end portion of said sleeve, a hollow and laterally extending launching rail supporting shaft rotatably carried within said T fitting, a depending lever arm secured to said supporting shaft, a rearwardly extending handle, means for journalling said handle to said lever arm, a quadrant secured to the side of said sleeve and having portions thereof defining an arcuate guide slot and arcuately arranged apertures, a guide pin and a latch member carried by said lever arm and respectively engageable with said guide slot and apertures, resilient means for urging said latch member into said apertures to latch the launcher rails in various positions of elevation, mating and serrated flanges respectively secured to the upper end portion and lower end portion of said sleeve, a pivotally mounted train latch member, resilient means for urging said train latch member into mating serrations of said mating flanges, a cable operatively connected at one end thereof to said train latch member and carried within said handle, a grip member pivotally mounted on the outer end portion of said handle and operatively connected to the other end of said cable, and a pair of substantially I-shaped launching rails, the upper and lower flange portions of each of said rails defining tubular portions of triangular cross sections, and each of said tubular portions defining a slot in the outermost tubular wall thereof for the accommodation of a launching lug of each rocket to be launched.

2. A rocket launcher comprising a post having means with which it is aflixed to a support in a rigid and generally upright position, a sleeve having a swivel mount on the post, said sleeve having a laterally extending rotatably mounted shaft capable of reaching out laterally beyond the confines of the support, at least one launcher rail attached to the shaft outwardly of the post and constructed and arranged for carrying and guiding a rocket before and at launching, a quadrant defining a plurality of arcuately arranged apertures and secured to said post, and a handle rigidly connected to the shaft and mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof, said handle extending to a position accessible from the support, a latch pin connected to said handle and insertable in a selected aperture in response to rotation of said handle about the longitudinal axis thereof to thereby lock said rail in a selected position of elevation, said sleeve and said post respectively having mating serrated flanges, a grip member pivotally mounted at the outer end of said handle, a latching member insertable into and removable from vertically registering serrations on said flanges in response to actuation of said grip member,

said handle being operable to revolve the sleeve on its swivel to swing the rail into the confines of the support for loading and to revolve the shaft to depress and elevate the rail, a launcher rail of I beam cross section having hollow flanges of triangular cross section, said flanges 3 defining longitudinal slots for receiving lug members on the rockets to be launched whereby the initial travel of the rockets is guided by the travel of thelug members in said slot and the margins of said flanges coact with laterally extending shoulders on the rocket and in flanking relationship with the lug members to restrain lateral swaying of the rocket during launching.

3. A rocket launcher comprising a post having means through which it is aflixed to a support in a rigid and generally upright position, a sleeve having a swivel mount on the post, said sleeve having a laterally extending rotatably mounted shaft capable of reaching out beyond the confines of the support, at leats one launcher rail at-. tached to the shaft laterally outwardly of the post and constructed and arranged for carrying and guiding a, rocket before and at launching, a quadrant defining a plurality of arcuately arranged apertures and secured to said post, a handle rigidly connected to the shaft and mounted for rotation about the longitudinal axis thereof p and extending to a position accessible from the support, a latch pin connected to said handle and insertable in a selected aperture in response to rotation ofsaidhandle about the longitudinal axis thereof to thereby lock said rail in a selected position of elevation, said sleeve and said post respectively having mating serrated flanges,- a

grip member pivotally mounted at the outer end of said.

handle, a latching member insertable into and removable engagement with side sway restraining shoulders on the rocket to be launched and having a slot intermediately j flat surfaces for receiving a launching lug on therocket' for guiding thelatter during the launching operation.

References Cited in the fileof this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 31,190 Roys Jan. 22, 1861 460,959 Ferris Oct. 13,. 1891 534,651 Krucker Feb. 26, 1895' 558,058 Fiske Aug. 14, 1896 664,732 Driggs Dec. 25, 1900 669,091 Martens Mar. 5, 1901 757,825 Maul Apr. 19, 1904 932,270 Goodwin Aug. 24, .1909

1,196,197 Witherow Aug. 29, 1916 1,215,255 Davison Feb. 6, 1917 1,332,716 De Sherbinin Mar. 2, 1920 1,866,922 Colby Ju1y'12,r1932 1,887,509 Heinkel Nov. 15,1932 2,099,957 Graham Nov. 23, 1937. 2,414,579 Anderson et a1. Jan. 21, 19 47 FOREIGN PATENTS v 16,088 Great Britain Jot-1892} 25,326 Great Britain 1894 309,505 Germany -2 Nov. "28, 1918 153,863 Austria "July 25', 1938;- 2l2,873 Switzerland -Ma.r.-17, 1941 OTHER REFERENCES Flight magazine, p. 687, December 23, 1943; Army Ordnance, p. 91, July-August 1945, 

